Wichita eagle., 1887-08-17
DEAF MUTE INSTRUCTION.
PATHETIC STORY OF THE DEAF,
DUMB AND BLIND.
Triumphs of Philanthropic Ingenuity
and Patience In the New York Institu-
tion-Various Branches of Instruction.
A Very Difficult Undertaking.

and Patience In the New York lnstltu-
| tion-various Branches of Instruction.
| A Very Difficult Undertaking.
| The industrial education in our institution
is most decidedly in advance Of that of all
| Others in the country. Each pupil above the
| age of 12 is required to spend three hours
each day in some kind Of manual labor. The
| boys are taught TO be carpenters, cabinet
| makers, printers, shOemakers, tailors, gar
deners, bakers and decorative artists The
| girls are taught dressmaking, tailoring shirt
| making, plain sewing, housekeeping and dec
| orative art. 1t is hoped that cooking, also,
will soon be taught in the institution. As
those deprived of hearing naturally cultivate
| more their sight the art of pictorial repre-
sentation of all kinds is for them most fitting
and the directors have been most fortunate in
finding just the person, combining both
ability and enthusiasm, to aid them in this
department, in Mrs. s. E. lie Prince. DR..
Peet says, in his report:
''She would not thanl, me if | should call
her great artist, but she must allow me to
recognize in her a thorough insight into the
principles of art, and a marked ability for
making them clear and simple, and for train
ing the hesitating hand to firm precision
Every pupil in the institution comes under
her direct or indirect instruction one hour
each week. Some of them come three hours
each week, and others three hours each day.
The last named are expected TO make living
from some form of artistic work. a living NOT
precarious or insufficient but certain and
abundant, and if at least two Of them do not
attain to fame, others besides myself will be
grievously disappointed"
DIFFICULT TASK
Among the pupils are two Young men who
are blind as well as deaf and dumb To talk
with these it is necessary to make the letters of
the manual alphabet against the palm of the
hand, and it is astonishing to see how rapidly
this is done. They can answer you in the
same way, or they can sit down at their type
writing machines which they have been care
fully taught how to use, and can answer YOU
with those.
Meeting one day in the cars Mr. Z. H.
Currier, the teacher of these two, said:
'Was either of them in this condition from
BIRTH"
Eyes, and he had reached the age of 16
without receiving any education or being
communicated with at all. He was si1nuly
an animal"
"How in the world did you open commune
cation with hing
at was very difficult thing to do. When
Dr. Peet brought him to me- | said: WHY.
doctor, it is impossible to do anything with
him we must said the doctor: YOU
must think it out and do it So l set to
work.
What was the first thing you did?'
well, you may imagine the amount of
naTJanco ra1 I oil fIot e
two weeks of steady labor before | could get
him to hold up his hands so that l might
touch the tips of his fingers with mine l
would lift up his hands, and the moment let
60 Of them down they would fall 1t seemed
hopeless case, but kept at it, and finally
he got the impression that l wished him to
keep them in that position"
"What was the first idea you attempted to
conveys"
81 chose key. took the key out of the
door of the small room we were in, and let
him feel it all over. 1 then took him to the
door, held one of his hands over the crack of
the door, and took his other hand to turn the
knob and pull the door open. then took one
of his hands, and with it put the KEY into the
keyhole, while the other hand was placed over
the bolt so that he might feel it shoot out
when the key was turned.
THE NEXT LESSON.
"Next the key was taken out, and he was
taught to feel for the keyhole with his finger
so that he might put the key into the proper
place. The door was then closed and locked,
and he was allowed to pull at it so as to see
that the door was firmly fastened.
II next took piece of wood of convenient
size, and printed on it with lead pencil in
large letters the word key. Taking some
pins, l drove them in along the line of the
letters so that he could feel of them. let
him feel of the key and of these letters alter
nately until he got the idea that these two
things were connected.
Il next took hold of the back of his ri.ht
hand with my left, and with the fingers of my
right hand made the manual sign for k anG
pressed it against the palm of his right hand.
Then | made e and then " and kept on
patiently until he had associated all these
ideas"
"How could you tell when he took an idea?"
"Oh! there was no difficulty about that
Until he took the idea the work was very
much like poking your irger against a stone
wall; hut the moment he did take it, his face
beamed, and he quivered all over with de-
light"
would there be any possibility of ena-
bling one in his position to earn his own
hvingW
THAT has already been done He has
learned to make cane seats for chairs, and is
now employed with others in reseating all
the damaged cane chairs in the institution
He is very fond OF praise and as soon as he
has finished any piece of work always asks to
be led to me. l Immediately compliment
him, of course, on his industry and ability,
SO that he returns TO his work with beaming
countenance and happy heart ~. NJ. NJ"
in New York Post